The present invention relates to an air massager using airbag apparatus.
A conventional chair-type air massager comprises airbag apparatus located on a user""s-body-side surface of a basic structure (chair body) of wood or synthetic resin that is shaped to the user""s body. The airbag apparatus is inflated and deflated to massage the user""s body by pumping air into or out of the airbag apparatus by means of a pumping device. In order to ease the feeling of stiffness of the airbag apparatus of the massager, a thin urethane foam cushion layer or a cover member made of cloth or leather is laid on, for example, the outer surface of the airbag apparatus.
A mat-type air massager is an alternative known massager in which a plurality of airbags are arranged side by side on a mat body that can be unfolded flat. As air is fed into or discharged from the airbags to inflate or deflate them, the user can be massaged lying on the airbags.
In the case of the conventional chair-type air massager, the shape of the basic structure is made to fit with that of the user""s body surface in some measure. If there are wide differences between the basic structure and the body surface, depending on the dimensions or figure of the user""s body, however, the basic structure never fits with the user""s body, thus failing to ensure a satisfactory massaging force or relaxative effect. Since the conventional airbag apparatus can simply inflate and deflate in the thickness direction of the basic structure, the feeling of stiffness can be eased only limitedly. Thus, the seated user is liable to feel uneasy and find it hard to be relaxed in the massager. Further, the basic structure of the conventional air massager of this chair-type, which is shaped to the user""s body surface, entails higher manufacturing cost.
In the case of the mat-type air massager, on the other hand, the individual airbags can simply inflate and deflate in the thickness direction of the mat body. Even if the airbags are arranged according to the figure of a standard user""s body, they easily produce an awkward feeling, depending on the body figure of each individual user. In some case, therefore, the user cannot be easily massaged in a fully relaxed state.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an air massager capable of giving a user a comfortable, fully relaxed feeling of being surrounded in something and ensuring a satisfactory massaging effect without regard to the figure of the user""s body or other variations between individual users.
In order to achieve the above object, an air massager according to the present invention comprises airbag apparatus capable of inflating and deflating and having a massaging surface opposed to a user""s body surface, a pumping device for pumping air into or out of the airbag apparatus, a cover member covering the airbag apparatus, and a deformable support member including an airbag support portion for supporting the back side of the airbag apparatus and adapted to allow the airbag apparatus to go down into the airbag support portion and incline along the body surface when the airbag apparatus is pressed by the body surface. When this massager massages the body surface with its airbag apparatus inflated and deflated, the airbag apparatus fits so well with the body surface that the user can enjoy a comfortable feeling of being massaged surrounded in the airbag apparatus. This air massager can fully fit with the user""s body without regard to the figure of the user""s body as it massages the body, thus ensuring a fantastic massaging effect.
The support member according to the invention is a fiber-filler formed of, for example, an aggregate of a large number of fibers and having restorability. This support member can ensure the user of a fully relaxed comfortable feeling, as well as the aforesaid effect of the invention. In this massager, the airbag apparatus supported by means of the fiber-filler presses the user""s body surface using its proper stiffness as it is inflated, so that a satisfactory massaging effect can be obtained. When the massager is not actually used for massaging, the fiber-filler enables it to serve as a relaxative chair that is comfortable to sit in. According to this arrangement, a good feeling of fittedness can be obtained without necessarily using any basic structure (chair body or the like) that fits with the user""s body surface, that is, even with use of a roughly shaped basic structure that is easy to manufacture.
In the present invention, the thickness of the fiber-filler is not smaller than a maximum inflated thickness of the airbag apparatus, and preferably, a compressible distance of the fiber-filler is greater than the maximum inflated thickness of the airbag apparatus. When the inflated airbag apparatus is pressed by the user""s body surface, according to this arrangement, its massaging surface goes down to the height level of the fiber-filler, and the fiber-filler is compressed to generate proper stiffness. With this arrangement, the relaxative effect of the massager can be improved depending on the thickness of the fiber-filler, and the fiber-filler can be made fully to fit with the user""s body.
In the present invention, the fiber-filler may be packed in each of a plurality of bags. With this arrangement, the support member can be made to fit with the body surface more easily. Further, the support member may be formed of a large number of movable grain-fillers packed in a bag. With this arrangement, the support member formed of grain-fillers is deformable and properly stiff, and an improved feeling of fittedness can be obtained as its grain-fillers fill gaps between the massager and the body surface.
The present invention is applicable to a chair-type air massager, which comprises a seat and a backrest provided with the airbag apparatus and the support member, respectively. With this arrangement, the user can be massaged comfortably in a seated state.
The chair-type air massager may further comprise a hassock located in front of the seat and provided with the airbag apparatus and the support member. This massager can massage legs with ease and relaxed state.
The airbag apparatus may include a plurality of airbag elements and a hinge portion connecting the airbag elements for inclining action, whereby the airbag apparatus can be made easily to fit with the user""s body surface. With this arrangement, the airbag elements that are separately located corresponding to object regions of the user""s body to be massaged can be easily inclined along the body surface by means of the hinge portion, so that the airbag apparatus can be made more easily to fit with the body surface. Besides, the relative positions of the airbag elements can be kept fixed.
The airbag apparatus may be attached to the inner surface of the cover member. According to this arrangement, the cover member and the airbag apparatus are formed integrally with each other, so that the airbag apparatus can be made easily to fit with the user""s body surface. Alternatively, the airbag apparatus may be attached to the outer surface of the bag that wraps the fiber-fillers therein. According to this arrangement, the bag and the airbag apparatus are formed integrally with each other, so that the airbag apparatus can be made easily to fit with the user""s body surface.
The present invention is also applicable to a mat-type air massager, which comprises a mat body capable of being unfolded flat and including the airbag apparatus and the support member thereon. With this arrangement, the user can lie on the massager comfortably during massaging operation. Further, the support member according to the invention may include a supporting element formed of fiber- or grain-fillers and packed in an airtight bag that is connected with the pumping device. According to this arrangement, the airtight bag, which contains the supporting element therein, serves also as airbag apparatus. Thus, diverse cushioning properties and massaging effects can be obtained by combining the airtight bag and the aforesaid airbag apparatus.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.